Staircases
by Morcelu
Summary: Showing his softer side, Draco gets some well needed advice.


**Author's Note**:I apologize up front as this story is non-beta'd. It has been sitting in my collection of written stories for a while now and I wanted to post it. The characters of course belong to J.K. Rowling I'm just borrowing them. As always I love getting reviews so please tell me what you think******

Hermione paused as she thought she heard heard sniffling and crying coming from the stair way. Her duties as head girl often had her patrolling for bullying or other trouble, and as she turned to head down the spiral stair case she heard another voice. Instantly recognizing it. 'Should have known Malfoy would have something to do with this.' She thought to herself as she reached for her wand, but the next words caused her to hide behind the spiral as she listened to Malfoy.

"Hey there its not so bad." Draco said to the little girl he recognized as a Ravenclaw first year, his head turning around to be sure that no one was there. "Your names Lacy right?" Draco said with a smile at the crying girl. "Tell me what's wrong." Draco spoke softly as he bent his knees and squatted down so he could be on her level.

Lacy didn't know who this older guy was but she could hear the sincerity in his voice and his smiling face allowed her to compose just enough to speak through silent tears. "There was this guy, another first year who was making fun of me and my shoes." She said as she started crying again and pointing at them.

Draco looked down and could immediately tell that this girl was no where near well off and judging by her clothes and broken shoes that she may be in a worse case than Weasely even was. "Go on." Draco said softly to the girl, with a another quick glance to be sure they were alone. "Its ok, they aren't here now."

Lacy nodded but looked at her shoes. "Well, I wanted to get away from them so I started to run. I ran down the stairs but my shoe lace was broken and I tripped-" Lacy then started crying again. "I tripped and fell down the stairs. All because of my shoes. Its not fair, the school supplies were so much and" Lacy was unable to continue as Draco placed his hand upon her head.

"Hey don't worry about the shoes or anything." Draco said with concern as he looked her over. "Are you hurt from the fall? Is anything broken?"

"No." Lacy said; shaking her head. "I only have this." She said as she pointed to her leg where it was red and scuffed up. "It burns, but my shoes are broken." the small girl said with tears building up again. "I know I know I shouldn't be worried about them but they were my only pair I don't know what to do."

Draco started chuckling as he looked at her.

"See even your laughing at me now." The little girl started crying in earnest again.

"I'm not laughing at you, I just want to help you." Draco then uttered a charm as he waved his hand over her shoes repairing them then transfiguring them to look completely new. "Now about those guys. I think he may not have been wanting to make fun of you at all." Draco said with a smile.

The girl was speechless as Draco repaired her shoes and made them look new. "Oh wow, thank you." As she reached up to give Draco a hug but quickly stopped as her face took a puzzled look. "What do you mean, they didn't want to make fun of me they sure seemed like it."

Draco sighed as he sat all the way down and crossed his legs. "Well, I'll tell you a secret ok?"

Lacy now was smiling as this older student was going to share a secret with her, a brand new first year. "Ok, I won't tell anyone I promise."

Draco nodded as he gave a half smile. "Most guys tease girls they secretly like. There was." Draco then paused "er is this one girl that all I can seem to do is make fun of. I actually like her a lot but I can't tell her at all. You see most guys are like that, and I bet this boy that made fun of you." Draco then looked the younger girl right in the eyes. "I bet that he actually likes you but he's too afraid to admit it and he had to say something to you so he did what was comfortable for guys. He found something to make fun of and made fun of it."

Now was Lacy's turn to smile. "Well, that's just stupid." She said matter of factually. "If you like her so much, just tell her. I'll give you a secret about girls." Lacy now felt filled with pride as she was going to let this older student in on a super secret. "We girls like the truth. If you like us, just tell us." She said nodding her head.

Hermione couldn't believe her ears as she listened to the conversation. First that Draco Malfoy was helping another person then as he talked about liking someone and making fun of her. That statement caused her jaw to drop for she knew without a doubt that the only person within the castle, including other muggle borns, that Draco tormented and made fun of was her. Hermione quickly had to clamp her hand to her mouth though as she heard the first year begin to educate Draco, the Slytherin Prince in relationships.

Draco couldn't contain himself as he started to laugh. "You know Lacy. I see why they placed you in Ravenclaw. Your awfully smart."

Lacy just shrugged, "That's not smart silly that's just common sense." Her earlier feelings of being hurt now drifting away as she talked with the older platinum hair student. "So, this is what you do ok?" Lacy said as she knew now that she had to help this person out. "First thing's first. You go find her and simply apologize. Don't do it with roses or chocolate or anything that's to much." She said nodding. "No, no flowers or chocolate, you say your sorry and that you want to just talk with her sometime." Lacy felt confident in her relationship advice.

Draco chuckled. "You seem awfully confident in yourself now don't you." Draco said with a smile as he could tell that a boost in confidence was what she really needed right now so he would remain to listen to her. "How do you know this idea of yours will work."

"Oh that's the easy part." Lacy said still smiling. "I don't, but I don't know it won't work either. You just have to take things on faith sometimes. That's one of the first steps of knowledge,is admitting you don't know." Lacy said as she begin to sit indian style in the same style as Draco. "So apologize to her and tell her that you want to talk to her, then ask her to meet someplace so you guys can talk then you let her come to you."

Hermione was more than impressed by the girl, but when she braved a chance to look past the stair and saw Draco Malfoy sitting in front of a 11 year old first year raven claw in patched robes paying attention to her with the same attention he gave Professor Snape was an image she burned into her mind wanting that to last for ever.

"Ok, I feel better now. You go find her and talk to her ok?" Lacy said as she stood up and reached out to help Draco up. "Well come on, day's not getting any younger." she said looking at the older man. "You going or not?"

Draco wondered what strange sort of fate had just happened here, He had stopped to try and help her and this little girl had ended up giving him advice and on relationships on top of that. "Lacy, I think your going to do very well here." Draco said as he took her hand but being sure to use his own strength to pull himself up so as not to pull the young girl down.

Hermione started to go up the stairs but her heel caught the bottom part of the stair causing it to make a sound thus alerting the ones down below to her presence.

"Hey, I think someone's coming." Lacy quickly said as she noticed Draco moving much faster and the warm expression and feelings she sensed on him disappear.

Hermione knew that she couldn't go back up as it would appear as she was running away and knowing Draco like she did, he wouldn't want to lose the reputation that he had gathered as one of the more feared students, a reputation he had rightly earned lately for only Harry was one that could beat him in a duel and yes she was including herself amongst those. Hermione then walked down a few steps making it appear as she came from above. "Everything all right down here? She asked in a normal tone as possible.

Lacy looked at Hermione then at Draco and she knew instantly that this was the girl that Draco had been talking about. With a large smile upon her face lacy nodded. "Yes everything is fine, this guy." Lacy then paused. "Oh,hey I don't even know your name." She said with a smile.

"Draco, Draco Malfoy." Draco said as his mind raced wondering just how much she had heard and wondering if and when he should act on the little girls advice, Draco though then felt a tug on his arm, looking down at the girl he bent over to hear what she had to say.

"That's her, isn't it." Lacy said as a statement. "Here's your chance go do it." "Oh, everything is fine I'm glad you came by. Draco here has something to say." Lacy then nudged the older guy towards Hermione.

Hermione crossing her arms playing the suspicious party looked at him, just knowing that Voldermort would try to become the Pope before Malfoy would ever apologize to her. "Yes Malfoy?"

Draco took a deep breath and then walked over to Hermione, knowing that a little girl was just behind him with her arms folded waiting on him. "Hermione, I just want to say I'm sorry. I've been an ass all these years and I really do want to apologize for that. You. um. Want to maybe get some coffee later in the library and talk?"

'Holy Cow, Voldermort for Pope' Hermione thought to herself as she fought to keep her jaw from dropping. "Apology not accepted." Hermone said as she saw the girl behind Draco wince and a flash of regret in Draco's eyes. "Yet, but if your sincere I'll think about it. I will meet you in the library later, say around seven?" Hermione then looked at Lacy and her bright eyes were happy. "I think though that one of us should take her to the hospital wing, that looks to be a nasty mark on her leg."

Draco had inwardly winced as she had not accepted his apology but relief quickly replaced the worry as Hermione stated the word yet, so much in fact that he had almost missed what she said last. "Oh yea, I'll take her." Draco said as he remembered the girls advice was to then leave and let her make the final choice. Draco then turned to Lacy. "Here, let me take you to the hospital wing, Madam Pompfrey will have you good as new in no time."

Lacy smiled as she took the older students hand allowing him to lead her on. "She's cute." She said with a grin as they both turned their backs towards Hermione and walked away.


End file.
